Struck on the Street: four New York Times writers share their stories of being hit by cars

Jill Abramson is executive editor of the New York Times; she is also a survivor of being hit by a car, in her case a delivery van while crossing with the green light. We don't hear a lot about survivors; she writes in the Times:

Though it happens fairly frequently, the experiences of those who are in pedestrian accidents and live are rarely told. It is natural and right that the worst (and fatal) cases attract the headlines and public horror. But being hit by a vehicle changes the way a pedestrian experiences the city, even years after recovery.

It is part of a remarkable article where we read about her and three other Times staffers whose lives were changed after being hit. In every case, the pedestrian had the right of way. About how difficult and painful the recovery is. About how hard it is to return to work, to do the things they used to do before. About learning to walk again. About depression.

Physically I was certainly recovering. Then, for the first time in my life, I became seriously depressed. Drugs did not help all that much.

This article should be required reading for every politician refusing to consider lowering speed limits or improving conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. Perhaps it might give them pause. More in the New York Times